Truthfully
by SilverMidnight52
Summary: After Jenny's death Gibbs learns of his son. What is his son hiding? What secret is destroying him from the inside out? Slash. Rated for a little cussing.
1. Chapter 1

Random story about Gibbs/Jenny son. Slash. Enjoy and PLEASE REVIEW!

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"Are you sure about this, Jethro?" Ducky asked staring at the teenaged boy listening to music at my desk.

The boy had shaggy blond hair, bright blue eyes, and pale skin. He was about sixteen years old and almost six feet tall, and all of that was legs. It was almost like I was looking at myself at that age. Except for the hair and the wardrobe. Then there was the 'snake-bite' lip piercing he had.

Ducky had described his style as 'Steampunk'. Goggles were on his head, a dark brown three-piece suit, and normal brown dress shoes. He looked almost professional, until you looked at the small details. His belt looked like dull gold chains tied together, an odd gold watch around his left wrist, and a Rainbow Carebear backpack.

"He's my son," I said softly, "I can't just leave him."

"He's also just lost his mother," Ducky said calmly, "And is just about to met his father for the first time. You don't even know his name yet."

"Then I should go met him."

Slowly climbing down the stairs I watched the boy nod his head absent mindedly to the beat of his music. He looked rather content in just sitting there. It was like he was at total peace with himself. After my mother died all I felt was anger and everyone around me knew it.

"Hello," I said stopping in front of my desk, "I'm Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

"I'm Zero Shepard," he said taking his headphones out, "You're my father, right?"

"Yes."

"Wicked. So, where are we going?"

"I stay here until my shift is over."

"Then I'll stay too. I have one question though."

"What's that?"

"Why are they staring at me?"

Turning around I saw Lee, Langer, and Keating staring at Zero. With a glare sent their way they quickly went back to work. It was times like this that I realized just how much I missed my team. Sure I saw McGee and talked to Ziva and Tony, but I truly did miss them all.

"Come on," I said motioning for him to stand up, "I'll introduce you to some people."

Zero shrugged calmly and stood up. He waved slightly at Langer who was once again staring at him. For as much as he was like Tony he was getting on my last nerve. I had to get my real team back sooner rather then later. For my own sanity if nothing else.

"You don't seem to like them," Zero said messing with his phone.

"They get the job done,' I said keeping my voice even.

"And leaves can be used at toilet paper. Doesn't mean you like it."

Looking over at Zero I couldn't stop myself from smiling slightly. He was an intuitive person and he didn't seem afraid. The thing I didn't like was that he wasn't showing any emotions about his mothers' death. I knew from experience how bad that could be.

"Hey Gibbs," Abby said smiling at me, "Do we have a case or were you going to join McGee and I for lunch?"

"Actually," I said calmly, "I wanted to introduce you both of Zero Shepard. My son."

Abby and McGee stared at me in shock before turned to look at Zero. He once again waved at the people though this time his eyes never left his phone. Before I could say anything Abby was pulling him into a hug. Zero instantly stiffened and stared at me with wide eyes.

"Abby," McGee said pulling her back, "Calm down. Hi, I'm Timothy McGee and this is Abby Sciuto."

"Hello," Zero said relaxing.

Zero smiled at McGee calmly, but he looked slightly weary of Abby. I didn't quite understand that, but Abby was a little much for people to take sometimes. Soon the quiet was surrounding us. Zero simply started to mess with his phone again.

"What are you doing?" Abby asked curiously.

"Nothing," Zero said blushing.

"Oooh. Who are you talking to?

"No one."

"You were talking to your girlfriend, were you?"

"No, I don't have a girlfriend. Are there anymore people I have to met?"

Nodding my head I watched as Zero walked back to the elevator. He seemed closed off when it came to the topic of girlfriends. Part of me couldn't help but wonder if he was as horrible at dating as I was. Of course, I had a good reason, but maybe he did too.

"What was that about?" I asked when the doors closed.

"I'm not an open book," Zero said staring at the wall, "I'm a little overprotective of myself. Abby hugging me and asking personal questions brought that out in me. I'll apologize to her later."

"Don't apologize. It's a sign of weakness."

Zero nodded his head slowly before the doors opened once more. As he walked into autopsy with me I saw a glimpse of the screen on his phone. It was a message between him and someone else. The message said 'I love you so much, Baby. I'll talk to you later tonight. J ' So he was dating someone.

"Ah Jethro," Ducky said happily, "What brings you here?"

"Wanted to introduce you to someone, "I said with a nod, "Zero Shepard this is Dr. Donald Mallard."

"Hello Doctor," Zero said softly.

"Please, call me Ducky. It's a please to meet you, my boy. I'd introduce you to my assistant, but he's come down with a horrible case of the stomach flu."

"That's alright, Ducky. I'm sure I'll get another chance."

Ducky smiled before throwing himself into a story. Unlike most people that came to listening to one of his stories Zero actually listened to what was being said. I wanted to interrupt, but he seemed to like the story so much that I just didn't have the heart.

"Come on, Zero," I said when the story was over, "I'll drive you to your new home."

"You don't have to," Zero said looking at me, "I rode my bike here."

"You have a bike?"

"Yes, bought half of it with my own money. No small feat considering it's a $100,000 bike."

"You have a $100,000 bike?"

"Yeah, I had to work a lot to get the $50,000, but it was so worth it. Can we get some food?"

Nodding my head I went back to the elevator. Zero had a $100,000 bike. That seemed a lot different them the type of presents I gave Kelly. How different was his life going to be now? I couldn't bring him the things that he was used to having. Hell, I didn't even know anything about him.

"Can we get Italian?" Zero said bouncing slightly, "I love pasta."

"Sure," I said nodding, "But I have to do something first. Come on.'

Zero nodded his head and followed me into the elevator. As we rode a yawn slipped through his lips making me look over at him. Now that I was closer to him I could see the bags under his eyes. He hadn't been slipping all that well or at all.

"Stay out here," I said when we got to MTAC.

"Got it," Zero said pulling out his phone again.

Going into MTAC I tried not to think about who Zero was talking to. I had no reason to be like this with him, but I felt protective and I knew he was hiding something from me. He wasn't going to just come out and tell me and I doubted he'd like if I interrogated him.

"Gibbs," Vance said staring at me.

"I'm taking a long lunch," I said calmly.

"Why?"

"Showing my son his new home then having lunch with him."

"I didn't know you have a son."

"I just met him today."

"Your team's doing cold cases. Take your time."

Nodding my head once I walked out of the room and found Zero where I left him. He was still typing away on his phone. The new thing was the love in his eyes and the soft smile on his lips. It seemed like he loved whomever hew as talking to very much.

"Hey," Zero said looking at me, "After we eat can I invite a friend over to help me move in while you're at work?"

"Sure," I said as we got back in the elevator.

The trip down to the cars was silent. Zero didn't seem to mind, but I wasn't happy about it. So many questions were running in my mind. There had to be a way fro me to answer them without him completely shutting down like he did with Abby.

"I'll get my bike," Zero said putting his phone away, "Do you know where Pellegrino's is?"

"Yes," I said calmly.

"Then I'll meet you there."

Nodding my head I made my way to my truck and started to drive. By the time I got to the restaurant I thought that Zero would be there, but he wasn't. As bad images started to run through my head I saw a motorcycle zip dangerously through the traffic until it came to a stop in front of me.

"Hello," Zero said taking his helmet off, "Are you ready?"

I nodded my head once more hoping that if I kept my mouth shut I wouldn't start telling him off for how he drove. I knew I drove dangerously, but I was in a car with at least some protection. Zero's only protection was a helmet.

We got to our table and ordered food without saying anything else. This could have been going better, but the thing that kept my mouth shut was not wanting to anger Zero. He, on the other hand, didn't seem to be paying attention to what was going on.

"Almost time to graduate," I said calmly.

"Two years," Zero said nodding.

"Do you have any plans for the future?"

"Yeah, I'm going to be a history professor. It's the same thing I've wanted to do since I saw Indian Jones."

"How long ago was that?"

"Ten years. What about you? Did you always want to be a Marine?"

"No, but I wouldn't want to do anything else now."

"That's pretty awesome. I never thought of going into the military at all. It's not really me."

The rest of lunch was filled with Zero telling me random things about himself. As it turned out he was sort of a daredevil and his motorcycle was his baby. He had even named it Ash. I was starting to understand him a little better.

Once we finished eating we went to our different cars and I led Zero to his new house. As I drove I felt a nervousness fill me. Of course my team spent the night sometimes none of them were going to spend years. Who knew what living with him was going to be like.

"Here we are," I said opening the front door.

"Not to be dramatic or anything," Zero said putting his helmet on the table, "But…My eyes! It's just so bright!"

Zero fell to his knees halfway through that before grinning up at me. I couldn't help but laugh softly at me. He was being a bit dramatic, not that I couldn't blame him. The house was too bright for my taste I just dint' have any reason to change everything.

"I'll show you your room before I leave," I said walking upstairs, "You can do anything to it."

"Even paint?" Zero said excitedly.

"Sure. There it is. Mine is just a few doors down."

"Alright. I'm going to call my friend. He lives two blocks down."

"I'll be back around nine."

"Bye."

Walking downstairs I quickly started to make a cup of coffee when I heard a knock on the door. I started to make my way to the door only to hear Zero rush downstairs and open the door. Soon another boy was walking into the house with a smirk on his lips.

The boy was wearing nice black trousers and a back vest. He had black fingerless gloves and silver chains were hanging all over his body. Black, shaggy hair fell over his eyes that were covered by pink framed sunglasses. I had no idea how to describe the person before me.

"Hey Jasper," Zero said smiling.

"Hi," Jasper said a soft Cajun accent coming through.

"Jazz, this is my Dad, Leroy Jethro Gibbs or Gibbs. Gibbs, this is Jasper Summers."

Jasper turned to me while pulling off his sunglasses. Looking into his eyes I saw that they were practically black. I tried to read some emotions in his eyes, but they were completely hidden behind cockiness. No, I wasn't really happy that this was who Zero wanted to hand out with.

"Pleasure to meet you, Agent Gibbs," Jasper said offering me his hand.

"Jasper," I said shaking his hand firmly.

"I brought my parents SUV to help you move, Z. Whenever you're ready. Good-bye Agent Gibbs."

Nodding my head I let go of Jasper's hand and left the house. I was about to start my truck when I realized I left my coffee inside. Running a hand through my hair I slowly made my way to the door, but I never got a chance to open it.

Through the window I saw Zero and Jasper caught up in a kiss. That was why he was so defensive about having a girlfriend. Jasper was the person that he was talking to. My son was gay. How what I supposed to handle something like that? And why hadn't he told me before?

Turning around quickly I made my way to my truck and then to work. My mind was spinning as I tried to figure out what was going on. Zero was gay. I wondered if Jenny knew about him. It didn't matter though. The thing that mattered was that I knew.

Once I got to work I went down to Ducky. Out of all the people that I could talk to he was the one I trusted the most. He wouldn't go around telling people or accidentally let it slip. The thing that mattered the most was that he'd defend Zero and do it in a way that made me see the truth.

"Ducky," I said walking in.

"Ah Jethro," Ducky said smiling, "Is something wrong?"

"Zero's gay."

"He told you?"

"No, I saw him kissing his boyfriend through the window. What am I supposed to do?"

"Nothing."

Staring at Ducky I was shocked. He wanted me to act like I didn't see anything. I didn't know how that made any sense. Zero needed to know that I knew. It would at least give me a reason to keep him away from Jasper.

"Jethro," Ducky said cutting through my thoughts, "Homosexuality is a sensitive subject to some people. If you push Zero into telling you something before he's ready it could do more harm then good. He must come to you on his own."

"I know," I said sighing, "But his boyfriend…"

"Jethro."

"I get it. Talk to you later Ducky."

Walking out of autopsy I tried to keep my head on straight. I knew that Ducky was right, but I wanted to take this on now. Somehow I had to find a way to make Zero comfortable enough to talk to me. Okay, so I just met him, but I needed to find out more about Jasper to see if he was just used my son or not.

By the time I was heading home I had yelled at my 'team' more often then not. My mind was fixed on what Zero and Jasper were doing in my house. Those two were dating and teenage boys. I didn't know why I was so upset, but I was. And I had to get home now.

"Zero," I said throwing open the door.

"Hey Gibbs," Zero said looking up from his book, "Is something wrong?"

Looking at the table I saw that it was stacked high with school books. Jasper was laying on the ground staring at me while Zero was on the couch. Neither of them looked like they had been doing anything. The anger I was feeling quickly disappeared. They were just studying.

"No," I said shutting the door, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to make Jazz not fail English," Zero said sighing, "But it's to the point of wanting to bash his head in."

"Hey," Jasper said sitting up, "It's not my fault it's stupid."

"It's art and sixty percent of your grade!"

"Breathe, Z. It's going to be fine."

"If you fail I'm not going to talk to you for a whole month."

"Lair."

"Shut up."

Looking at the relationship they had I wondered how long they had been together. They were acting like Shannon and I had. It was a beautiful thing to see, even if I wasn't supposed to know. Maybe Jasper wasn't as bad as I first thought. I still wanted to smack that stupid smirk off his face though.

"Is your room done?" I asked calmly.

"Yeah," Zero said standing up, "Want to see?"

"Sure."

A grin bloomed on Zero's face as he grabbed my hand and pulled me upstairs. From behind me I could hear Jasper chuckling softly. Maybe I was getting past Zero's walls. Or my son was like Abby. That was a little too much to think about. I did love Abby, but sometimes she was too much for me.

Zero's door had a whiteboard on it with multiple markers hanging from it. Right now though there was a drawing on it. It was of a person, who looked a lot like Zero, with white cat ears and a tail. I had to admit that it was a good drawing.

"Who drew that?" I asked motioning to the drawing.

"Jasper," Zero said blushing, "He did all of the drawings and paintings you'll see. Ready for this?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Ta-Da!"

When the door opened I was surprised by how much things had changed. The walls were now an emerald green with random silver drawings all over them. Over the windows were thick black curtains that I doubted would let any sunlight in when closed. That was a little odd to me.

His bed was painted black and high off the ground with drawers underneath it. The bedspread was rainbow along with the pillows. A large bookshelf was on the opposite wall that seemed to read 'Read Your Book Case'. From the roof hung butterfly lights that glowed blue.

"Isn't it awesome?" Zero said with a grin.

"It's nice," I said nodding, "You don't have a desk."

"Yeah. It might have broken on the trip here. Isn't that right, Jazz?"

"I already apologized and offered to buy you a new one," Jasper said throwing his hands up, "What more do you want?"

"We want the last six years back!"

Staring at Zero I wondered what that was about. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jasper roll his eyes and start laughing. It seemed that this was something that happened a lot. How I was supposed to react was beyond me, but more so I wondered if this is how he always was.

"Agent Gibbs," Jasper said shaking his head, "Your son is insane."

"Jazz," Zero said pouting.

"I never said that I didn't love it or that I'd change it. I was just warning him."

"I'm not that bad."

"Zero, do I need to remind you of the 'Suck Punch' incident?"

"I…Shut up."

Jasper laughed loudly before pulled Zero into a hug. A split second later they pulled apart with wide eyes. Zero moved a way from Jasper with a deep blush on his cheeks while Jasper just looked frustrated. He didn't seem to like having to hide their relationship, but a sigh slipped through his lips a moment later.

"I should go," Jasper said stuffing his hands in his pockets, "Talk to you later, Zero."

"Night," Zero said in a whisper.

Without saying anything else Jasper turned around and left. He was obviously upset, but I had to admit that I was glad he had enough sense to just walk away instead of fighting. Jasper cared about my son, that much was clear, but that didn't mean I liked him yet.

"I think I'm going to take a shower," Sebastian said his voice still soft.

"Alright," I said nodding, "I'll probably be in the basement if you need me."

"Okay. Night."

Sebastian walked past me calmly, but I could see tears building in his eyes. This was breaking his heart and in turn breaking mine. I never wanted to see my child have that look in his eyes. And I couldn't do a damn thing until he told me that he was gay. Of course I had no idea how to show him that I'd be perfectly fine with it.

As I made my ways downstairs I started to think. I didn't know anyone that was openly gay, but McGee and Abby might. Tomorrow I'd go down and see them. Maybe they'd have some idea on how to get him to come out and not end up with a broken heart. That was the important part. I might have just met him, but I never wanted him to feel that pain.

By the time I was relaxed enough to go to sleep it was close to two o'clock. Running a hand through my hair I slowly made my way up to my room only to freeze outside of Zero's door. My son was in there. I had a son. Honestly after Shannon and Kelly I never thought I'd have another kid.

Zero was amazing though. He was a bit childish from what I could tell, but he cared. It was like he let his heart lead and he just followed. That was going to get him hurt if it hadn't already. Maybe that's why he and Jasper got along. They were, in a way, opposites. Jasper brought out a different side in Zero and vise-versa.

Shaking my head I went into my bedroom and got ready for bed. Tomorrow was going to e a long day and I was going to be doing a lot. I just hoped that I was going to help Zero instead of making things worse. I couldn't lose another person that I loved.

"Shannon," I muttered my eyes slipping shut, "What am I going to do?"

When I woke up in the morning I found myself laying in bed thinking. Shannon and Kelly would have liked Zero. I could almost see them in the backyard playing. Kelly and Zero running around playing tag while Shannon watched from the kitchen window with a cup of tea.

"I miss you,' I said before standing up.

Quickly getting dressed I thought about what today would be like. Talking to McGee and Abby, talking to Ziva and Tony, and trying not to get too angry with my 'team'. I was not looking forward to any of this, but I never ran away.

"Zero," I said knocking on his door.

"Come in," Zero said his voice gravelly with sleep.

Opening the door I flicked on the lights before looking at the bed. Zero's blond hair was sticking in all directions and pink rimmed glasses were perched on his nose. He wasn't wearing a shirt so I could see that he probably swam a lot. What I noticed the most though was the tattoo peeking on his shoulder.

"Gibbs," Zero said yawning, "Everything okay?"

"Yes," I said calmly, "But I need you to come to work with me."

"Why?"

"I want you to meet the rest of my team. Two of them are over seas though. I have to get a feed going. We always talk today. So, get dressed and down to NCIS in an hour."

"Can Jasper come?"

"Sure."

"Alright, I'll see you down there in an hour."

Zero threw off his blankets and stood up. Stretching his arms about his head I saw the tattoo fully. It looked like a pair of angel wings that were decaying covered his entire back. It was artfully done, but I still didn't know how to feel about it.

"Anything else?" Zero asked talking something out of a drawer.

"Just looking at your tattoo," I said calmly.

"Oh, Mom got it for me for my birthday. Jasper got me these."

Zero placed four different coffee cups on his bed with a grin on his lips. Taking a closer look I saw that they each had some sort of crest on them. They read 'Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw'. It registered that I had heard those names before, but I had no idea where.

"They're from the Harry Potter books," Zero said softly, "I use them to show what my personality will be like that day."

"And today is?" I asked curiously.

"Ravenclaw. They're known for their smarts. Today you'll see just how book smart I am. Also, coffee. Just so you know Jasper hates this side of me."

"A pot's brewing."

"Is it strong?"

"Yes."

"Wicked. And we're off."

Before I could say anything else Zero ran out of his bedroom with the Ravenclaw mug in his hands. Shaking my head I slowly made my way downstairs. Zero was a bit crazy. Not in a bad way, but still. I was seeing him like this, but I still felt like he was hiding something.

I was halfway down the stairs before Zero walked past me. He stopped long enough to smile at me, but went upstairs without another word. When I hit the bottom step Zero was walking back down the stairs. He stared at me for a moment while taking a drink of coffee.

"Can I get a piercing?" Zero asked between sips.

"What?" I asked confused.

"I was reading a manga last night and saw this wicked picture of a guy who had his navel pierced. The piercing had a chain lead from the piercing to his necklace. I want one."

"Why are you asking me?"

"I need your signature. I'll bring the paper when I stop by NCIS. You should hurry or you'll be late."

Zero ran back upstairs and slammed his door behind him. Shaking my head I went into the kitchen and got my coffee before getting to my truck. Alright, my son was a little bit insane. I also had to remember to ask Abby and McGee what the hell a 'manga' was.

Driving to work I thought about everything that was going to happen today. I had to talk to Abby and McGee about Sebastian's sexuality, introduce not only Zero but Jasper to Tony and Ziva, and continue to keep my head on straight while dealing with my 'team'.

By the time I got to NCIS I felt my head start pounding. No, today was probably not going to be a good day. I just had to keep as calm as possible. At least around Zero. He didn't need to know my temper. Everyone else already knew or I didn't care about.

"McGee," I said seeing him in the elevator.

"Hey Bo…Gibbs," McGee said with a slight smile, "Everything okay?"

Pressing the stop button I turned to McGee and stared. It had been awhile since I was able to do this. No one on my 'team' go to see this as my office. McGee knew this place though. Now I just had to hope that I could find some answers in him.

"Gibbs?" McGee asked confused.

"What's 'manga'? I asked calmly.

"A Japanese anime comic book. They're really popular nowadays. Zero read them?"

"Yes."

"Do you know any titles?"

"No."

"Alright, anything else?"

"Do you know any people that have come out?"

McGee stared at me like I was crazy. And that's exactly how I felt. Asking my team a question like this normally never would have happened, but this was an odd situation. I had to push the awkwardness away and hopefully help Zero in some way.

"Why?" McGee asked warily.

"Zero's gay," I said calmly, "He hasn't come out to me, but I know it's affecting the relationship with his boyfriend."

"You're trying to save his relationship?"

"I don't like his boyfriend, but this isn't about me. Do you know anyone?"

"Yes. I did."

Staring at McGee I felt shocked. I knew that McGee dated Abby so he wasn't gay. It was possible that he was bi-sexual. I hated that I hadn't know that before. I had prided myself on knowing my team, but I had overlooked this. What else did I miss?

"When I was sixteen I came out as bi-sexual," McGee said after a moment, "It took two years before my parents finally accepted it. After that the relationship with my Dad was strained. I knew since I was ten though."

"Why did you hide?" I asked staring at him.

"Fear. I thought that I'd lose my family, but I met my first love. His name was Dean and I thought I'd spend the rest of my life with him. I introduced him to them because of that. We were together for three years."

"The love outweighed the fear."

"Yes, I'm not saying Zero doesn't love his boyfriend as much as I loved Dean. It is possible that something happened to your son that didn't happen to me."

"What do I do then?"

"I have an idea. I'm dating a guy right now. Invite him and I to dinner or something. If you say boyfriend when you ask it will show that you're comfortable with it. That should help a lot."

"Thank you, Tim."

"No problem, Gibbs. I know what it's like. If I can help in anyway I'm more then happy."

Turning the elevator on I felt a small weight off my shoulders. Hopefully Zero would see that I was okay with his sexuality. I just didn't want to ruin his relationship with Jasper. I had to make sure I did this right though. Mess this up slightly and everything was over.

Walking out of the elevator I saw Zero and Jasper standing in the bullpen. Both were wearing this odd school uniform. The only difference between the two was that Zero's was black while Jasper's was white. A soft chuckle fell from McGee's lips as we walked closer.

"Vampire Knight," McGee said with a smile.

"Yup," Jasper said smirking, "The black on is actually mine, but since Z's name is Zero I decided to be a little odd."

"I see the oddness. I'm Timothy McGee."

"Jasper Summers. I thought your name was Thom E. Gemcity."

"That's my penname. You've read my books?"

"Z got them for me as a Christmas present along with some others. In return I got him addicted to manga's."

McGee nodded his head calmly before turning to me to wave goodbye. I wondered if now would be the right time to ask him to dinner only to see that it was time to talk to Tony and Ziva in MTAC. Calmly I lead Zero and Jasper upstairs and ran into Vance.

"Vampire Knight?" Vance said motioning to their outfits.

"Yes, sir," Zero said politely.

"Whoever made them did a good job. Agent Gibbs, the feed is up."

"Thank you, Director."

Opening the door into MTAC I motioned for Zero and Jasper to go inside. I looked around once we were inside and saw that we were alone except for the tech. Nodding my head at him the screen changed to reveal Tony and Ziva. It was good to see my team again.

"Tony," I said calmly, "Ziva."

"It is good to see you, Gibbs," Ziva said with a slight smile.

"Yeah, Boss," Tony said loudly, "You do know you have two school boys behind you though, right?"

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you two about. This is my son Zero Shepard and his friend Jasper Summers."

Tony and Ziva stared at me for a moment before looking at Zero and Jasper. Zero waved shyly while Jasper smirked and did a fake bow. It was odd to see how different the two of them were since I knew their relationship. Though they did seem to get along well.

"Hello," Ziva said after a moment, "It is a pleasure to see you again, Zero."

"You too, Ziva," Zero said smiling, "I tried the recipe you gave me. It was delicious."

"I am glad you liked it. I have found one similar to it, but with more spices. Would you like it?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Looking between Ziva and Zero I tried to figure out how they knew each other. I knew Jenny had known Ziva, but I hadn't thought Ziva and Zero would as well. They seemed like they were good friends though. Maybe Ziva could help me with getting my son to come out.

"You're Ziva David?" Jasper said stepping forward, "Okay, Z, you were right. She does remind me of fire."

"Excuse me?" Ziva asked confused.

"Fire is dangerous yet beautiful. You fear it, but at the same time you're drawn to it. Untamable unless it wishes."

Jasper smirked slightly before moving back and standing behind Zero. He looked completely unfazed by the sadness that was now filling Zero's eyes. Whatever was going on in Zero's mind was eating at him. It was probably something that he thought before.

"I prefer water," Jasper said leaning close to my son, "No offense."

"And what's a water?" Tony asked finally saying something.

"A water is calm, nurturing. They bring life and peace to the world around them. Water has such a beauty about them. Until something destroys that peace. Once that peace is broken everything around them is in danger. I love that."

Hearing Jasper explain a water personality I watched Zero's face. A small blush appeared as he spoke. He was talking about my son. I might have some reservations about the man, but Jasper did love my son. What more could I possibly ask for? Besides them actually talking to me about their relationship.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Jasper," Ziva said calmly, "And nice to see you again, Zero. Gibbs, Tony I will talk to you soon, yes?"

"Yes. Be here next week."

Ziva's window closed a second later. She must have some case she was working on. Turning my head to Tony I saw that he was still staring at Zero and Jasper. I couldn't blame him for that, but I could see that ti was affecting Zero. For how friendly he was he was just as shy.

"DiNozzo," I barked out, "if you have something to say just say it."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Tony asked turning his eyes to me.

"Hell, DiNozzo, I didn't eve know until yesterday."

"Jenny didn't tell anyone. Why not? Was she not thinking or something? Was she really that selfish?"

"Don't ever talk about my mother like that, you son of a bitch," Zero growled out.

Spinning around I saw Zero glaring angrily at Tony. I never thought I'd see this side of my son. He was so angry. Honestly I knew that if Tony were here he'd be on the ground. Zero truly looked like he was ready to kill. Maybe he wasn't as unemotional about his mothers death as I thought.

"My mom was a good person," Zero said stalking forward, "She loved me with all of her heart and did whatever she could to keep me safe. Once I was old enough to understand she told me about Gibbs. I've known for years and didn't tell him. I was already a disappointment to one parent. I wasn't going to be that for another."

Before anyone could say anything Zero walked out of the room. Jasper started to follow him only to turn back around and flip Tony off. Soon it was just Tony and I and I could tell that he felt bad about what he said. I couldn't blame him for what he said though. I had wondered the same thing.

"Boss," Tony said softly.

"I know," I said nodding, "I have to go find Zero. We'll talk later.'

Walking out of MTAC I looked around for my son hoping that I would be able to find him quickly. I had no idea where he could possibly be though since he had no idea where anything was.

I went down to the bullpen to see if my 'team' had seen something, but like normal, they didn't have answers to any of my questions. Sighing I started to make my way to the elevator to go down and see if Ducky had seen him when I ran into McGee.

"Hey Boss," McGee said confused.

"What?" I barked glaring at him.

"Sorry, I just thought you were in the elevator since it wasn't working."

"Zero."

McGee looked at me the confusion getting deeper. I opened my mouth to explain what had happened in MTAC when the elevator doors opened and Jasper walked out alone.

"Hey," Jasper called out pointing at me, "Zero's Dad. Come here."

I normally would have said something about being talked to that way, but I could see the worry in his eyes. He was just as upset about this whole situation. He knew was he was doing when it came to Zero though.

Once I was in the elevator I saw Zero curled up in a ball on the floor sobbing. I hated seeing him like this, but I had no idea what I was supposed to do. Comforting him was going to be different then Kelly.

"When Zero was eleven he came out as gay," Jasper said his voice rough, "The next day he was beaten so badly he was in the hospital for days. Once he got out the same thing happened. That went on for almost two years before he met me. I saw him get hurt and beat the living crap out of the guys then had a conversation with his mother. A few months later he and I started dating."

"You feel like you're disappointing me because?" I asked needing to know everything.

"Because I'm gay," Zero said softly, "Because I couldn't defend myself."

"I've known you were gay since I saw you two making out in the living room. I feel no disappointment because of that. And if you want to learn to defend yourself I can teach you. So can Ziva when she comes back. You'll be able to defend yourself then."

"You don't hate me?"

"Never. Zero, I've already lost one child. Did you know that?"

"No."

"I had a daughter, Kelly. She was murdered along with her mother when she was eight. I'm not going to lose another child. I will have to get used to it, but I'm never going to lose another child."

Zero stared at me with such sadness that I couldn't help but have tears fill my eyes. He threw himself at me so I was holding him as he crying. There was so much pain, but I knew that he was starting to feel better now.

"You know what this means, right?" I said rubbing his back.

"What?" Zero asked softly.

"I have to met Jasper as your boyfriend now."


	2. Chapter 2

Someone asked for more chapters. Here one is. There will be one more after this. REVIEW PLEASE! I own nothing. Enjoy!

* * *

"Calm down, Gibbs," Zero said laughing at me, "You're acting worse then I did when I met them."

Turning my head I glared at my son in my normal 'death glare' only to make him laugh even harder. I knew that I wasn't losing my touch, but it seemed that my son was the only one not to be affected by the look.

Today was Zero and Jasper's four year anniversary and it seemed that the first thing they did was have lunch with their parents. How that made sense was still lost on me, but I wasn't going to question them.

I had known my son officially for almost six months now and I couldn't have been prouder. Honestly, I was still having a hard time liking his boyfriend, Jasper, but I had no real say in that.

Jasper was a good kid and he loved my son, that much was clear, but I hated his attitude. He was always just so cocky. I knew just where all that cockiness was going to land him one day if he wasn't careful.

With a sigh I straightened my tie in the mirror once more before turning around to look at my son. Zero was wearing a white shirt with a bright purple vest and tie and black and purple pinstripe pants.

Normally he would have been wearing his contacts, but after an hour of looking for them we had given up. Now he had a pair of hot pink rectangular glasses balanced on his nose.

"Here," Zero said handing me my jacket, "A nice dark gray suit with a cobalt blue tie to bring out your eyes. Perfect. Alright, let's go."

In the months that I had grown to know my son I knew a few key signs of his now. His eyes never made contact with someone when he could avoid it, he tugged on his or someone else's clothing when nervous, and he messed with his hair to calm down.

"I thought I was the one that was supposed to be freaking out," I said calmly.

"The first time you're meeting my boyfriends parents is on his and my anniversary," Zero said glaring slightly, "I was hoping it would be on my birthday where you have to pretend to like each other for the sake of my sanity. Then by the time this came around you'd really like each other and I wouldn't want to rip my hair out."

"Hey, everything is going to be fine. And as long as they behave so will I."

"Oh, wow, I didn't know you knew the meaning of that word from all the stories Vance told me."

Glaring slightly I rolled my eyes and pushed him towards the door. We were meeting up at some fancy restaurant that normally I'd avoid, but this year was their treat so I didn't get much of a say. I was really getting tired of not having a say.

By the time we got to the restaurant Zero was shaking slightly. He must have been more nervous then I thought. I guess the meeting of the parents was more important then I had thought.

"Zero," a loud woman said waving us over to a table, "Oh, Sweetheart, it's so nice to see you."

"I saw you yesterday, Mama Kat," Zero said hugging her, "Papa Remi."

Mama Kat was tall, willowy woman with black curly hair. Her skin was a caramel color while her eyes were a bright ocean blue. Then there was her outfit that made me think of Esmeralda from Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Papa Remi was a tall, well built man with short blonde hair. His skin was a snowy white while his eyes were an emerald green. Unlike his wife his outfit was a fresh pressed black three-piece suit.

"Hello," Remi said offering me his hand, "I'm Remi Summers and this is my wife Katrina Summers."

"Oh don't be so formal," Katrina said smacking Remi's chest, "Call me Kat. Everyone calls me Kat or as you've just heard Mama Kat. You can call me either."

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs," I said shaking Remi's hand and nodding towards Kat, "Jethro or Gibbs."

Kat smiled happily and motioned for everyone to sit down. Zero sat next to Jasper and offered the boy a smile. Jasper, like normal, gave a slight smirk back before his mom smacked his chest as well.

"I know I taught you more manners than that, Jasper Matthew Summers," Kat said glaring at him, "Now take off those sunglasses."

"Yes, Ma'am," Jasper said taking them off.

Unlike the last time I saw his eyes were now a neon green color. I couldn't help but shake my head at that. Why was it I was always finding something odd like that on either Jasper or my son?

The table was quiet as everyone figured out what they were going to order. At least Remi, Kat, and I were quiet. Jasper and Zero, on the other hand, were looking at one menu together and picking out two different plates.

"Aren't they just too much?" Kat said smiling, "Oh, their love just feels me with joy."

"It is nice to see," I said nodding my head.

"So, Gibbs, what do you do for a living?"

As we began our polite conversation I learned that they were from New Orleans and owned a bookstore. Though Remi ran a occult shop out of the back. Apparently it was a long standing tradition in his family.

"Hello, I'm Christy and I'll be your waitress today," a waitress said walking up to us, "Can I start you off with something to drink?"

Everyone rattled off what they wanted to drink before everything slowly got quiet again. It seemed like Zero and I weren't the only ones that were nervous about this meeting.

"You do know that the quiet makes it even more awkward, right?" Jasper said looking between us, "Talking makes it better."

"He gets that from you," Remi said winking at his wife.

"Yup," Kat said grinning, "And I love that. So, Gibbs, tell me something."

"What?" I asked calmly.

"Oh, anything. I'm not very picky."

I couldn't help but laugh slightly at Kat. She seemed to have a similar personality to Zero in some ways, but all in all I could tell that both of them were good people. Didn't mean I like Jasper anymore then before though.

"Took me awhile too," Remi said nodding his head in thanks as Christy gave us our drinks.

"Awhile to what?" I asked staring at him.

"To like the idea of our sons dating. Don't get me wrong I have no problem with the LGBTQ community. I just didn't like your son."

"How the…?"

"There's a reason I do what I do, Agent Gibbs. And don't worry about Jasper. He's a little hard to read at first, but get past his wall and you're his family forever."

Nodding my head I couldn't help but feel a little weirded out by Remi. How had that man read me that quickly? I had done everything to make sure no one was able to read me that quickly.

After ordering our food I thought about was Remi had said. I hadn't actually thought that Jasper could have some wall up against me. It did make sense in some ways though.

"Have you two applied to any colleges?" Kat said sipping her drink.

"Mama," Jasper said rolling his eyes, "We still have some time before we start applying."

"Alright then, Mr. Smarty. Have you at least thought of what colleges you want to go to?"

"We have been talking about it."

Looking between the boys I saw a soft blush appear on Zero's cheeks. For some reason I knew that I wasn't going to like what was going to be said next. This was his life though and making mistakes was part of that.

"New Orleans," Zero said softly, "I just love hearing all the stories you all told me over the years. I looked into their history program and saw that it really is good. And maybe I'll be able to convince Jasper to actually look at the list of degrees he can get if it's in a place he actually wants to go."

"Also," Jasper said shrugging, "We still have the house down there. I was thinking maybe we could move in there if we get in."

Kat and Remi shared a look before looking over at me. They didn't seem to know what to do with that information. Honestly neither did I. I had never believed in true love until I met Shannon, but I never thought you could find that person so early in life.

Jasper and Zero were weird though. I couldn't help but be happy that they had find each other so early. Maybe that would help keep the heartache I feel away from my son.

Anyone could see that the two of them were in love. Zero was only seventeen while Jasper was eighteen. They were too young. But they had been together for four years now.

From the looks in their eyes I could see that they had really thought about what they were doing. Even Jasper didn't seem to have the cockiness that he usually held about everything.

Neither of them were sure what they were doing. All they knew was that they wanted to be together. No one was going to tell them that they were being stupid and I wasn't going to stand in the way.

"All of us will have to check out the house," Remi said looking at me, "If you agree, Gibbs."

"I do," I said nodding, "When can we go?"

"Next weekend works for us. We were planning on visiting there anyway."


	3. Chapter 3

Someone asked for more chapters. Here's one. No more left. I think. REVIEW PLEASE! I own nothing. Enjoy!

* * *

"Gibbs," Remi said setting his bags next to mine, "How are you?"

"Glad I have coffee," I said holding up my cup, "You?"

Remi opened his mouth to say something but closed his mouth a second later and motioned to our right. Turning around I saw his wife, Kat, dancing crazily in the middle of the airport. To her right Jasper and Zero were pretending they were sword fighting.

"This is why you don't wake them up before six," Remi said sighing, "They're worse then two year olds."

"That they are," I said nodding, "I don't understand their outfits."

Kat was wearing an outfit similar to the one I had seen before, but Jasper and Zero's were weird. Though I was figuring out that their outfits usually were very weird to me.

Jasper was wearing simple black pants and shirt was white accents here and there. Around his neck was a black choker and he had a dark blue glove on one hand while there were rings on his other. Then cow ears perched on top his head.

Zero had on a black skirt and blue long sleeved school uniform shirt, pale yellow socks and multi-colored boots. His nails were painted blue and he had rings on his fingers as well. Then bunny ears on top of his head.

"Fruits Basket," Remi said shrugging, "Manga, anime thing that Jasper and Zero love. It's something they share. If ones dressed up the other dresses as the person they believe belongs with that person."

"And Zero's dressed up like a girl?" I asked feeling confused.

"No, he's dressed like Momiji. Momiji is a boy. It's hard to understand if you haven't read them or had your child talk about them for hours on end."

Nodding my head I watched as Jasper faked getting hit in the heart and fell dramatically into Zero. The two of them ended up laying on the ground laughing happily until Jasper placed his lips on Zero's.

Jasper started to move like he was going to stand up only to have Zero wrap him arms around his back and keep him still. A second later Jasper was laughing and nodding his head.

I watched as Jasper got up and kneeled next to Zero. A happy smile filled Zero's lips as he moved so Jasper could carry him on his back. At the end of the day they were a really cute couple.

"Are we ready to go?" Jasper said walking up to us.

"Our flight doesn't leave for another hour," I said calmly.

"You know what that means?"

"What?"

"Shopping!"

Jasper took off running causing Zero to hold on tighter while laughing happily. Remi looked between Kat and I before following at a calmer pace. Honestly, I liked Remi, but I wasn't sure about Kat.

"She's a lot to take I, isn't she?" Remi said calmly, "You'd never believe that when Jasper is around people inside of that wall I told you about he's exactly the same. They say it's an artist thing."

"It is," Kat said skipping up to us, "Something you don't understand."

"I never try to understand your mind, my love. I fear of what you might do if you ever find out. That and I respect you too much. You, on the other hand, Gibbs, I look into your mind all the time."

Remi was looking into my mind? No, there was no such thing as what Remi was claiming. He was very good at freaking people out with his 'gift' though. Too bad I would never believe him.

"Papa Remi," Zero said running up to us, "You said you'd teach me."

In Zero's hands was a deck of Tarot cards. He looked happy about what he had found, but still a little wariness in his eyes. He wanted to do this, but he wasn't sure what Remi was going to say.

"Does this deck call to you?" Remi asked calmly.

"It does," Zero said nodding quickly, "It was hidden in the back of the store in a discount bin at the very bottom. I just couldn't stop digging until I found it."

"Good. Let's find a place to sit and I'll show you some things with my deck. But keep in mind this is not a game. You must always use respect when you use this deck. Understood?"

"Yes, Papa Remi. I understand. I won't use them without you or Jasper with me."

"Let's find a quiet place. We'll met you at the gates later."

Zero waved as Remi and him left Kat, Zero, and I standing there. Jasper had a weird look in his eyes as he watched them leave. I couldn't figure out why that look was there though.

"It's okay, Sweetheart," Kat said rubbing Jasper arm, "Zero won't do anything dangerous. Now, how about we go get some food in our stomachs?"

Nodding our heads we went to grab some food, but mostly to kill some time. By the time we were sitting by the gate with our food I let my mind start to wonder about what the trip was going to be like.

I was going on a trip to see a house that my son and his boyfriend were going to be living in if they got into the college they wanted. Was this something that I would have done with Kelly?

"Gibbs," Jasper said sitting on the floor in front of me, "I don't know you."

"No, you don't," I said in agreement.

"Well, I have to get to know you."

"Why?"

"I have some plans."

"Plans?"

"I want to marry Zero one day. Maybe when we're in our twenties or something, but I do want to marry him. And family means everything to your son and you're his family. Figured since we have nothing to do we should get to know each other."

Hearing Jasper's confession I saw just how much he loved my son. Most people weren't thinking about things like this yet, but it was like he had a whole future planned out for them. I respected that.

"What do you want to know?" I asked calmly.

"You," Jasper said with a shrug.

With a sigh I started to tell Jasper random things that everyone knew about me. My hobbies, wood work, where I was from, a bit about my Dad, but I wasn't sure if I could bring myself to mention Shannon and Kelly.

"I know," Jasper said softly, "About them. Zero was telling me about them a while ago. He was sad that he never got to met them and that you never talk about them so he can't get to know them through you. He wants to know about them, Gibbs. He wants to feel like you're a family, but you keep holding back. It's breaking his heart. Okay, so he never actually said that and I'm not as good as my Dad, but I do know some things. You need to talk to him about them."

A silence seemed to blanket us after Jasper's confession. Was I protecting their memory so much that I ended up hurting my son in the process? Jasper was right. I did need to talk to him.

Hearing our plane number being called over the P.A. I looked around for Zero and Remi, but didn't see them anywhere. Why were they running so late? They hadn't gone that far from us.

As we got in line to board the plane I continued to look around until I saw Remi and Zero ride in on one of the car things. Zero smiled happily, said his thank you, and rushed over to Jasper.

"Hello, my little bunny," Jasper said laughing, "What's got you so excited?"

"You know how I am after I learn something new," Zero said with a grin, "Jasper, it's amazing."

"I know. I still remember when Dad started to teach me. And I know you're a quick study, Z, but please, go slow with this. It is dangerous to mess with these things if you're not careful."

"Jazz, I promise to you I won't do this without you or Papa Remi with me. I know how scary this can get. I'll be careful."

Jasper nodded his head slightly before kissing Zero gently. I could see the worry in his eyes when he looked at my son. I might not believe in it myself, but they did and that was all that mattered.

As we got in the plane I made sure that Zero was sitting between Jasper and I while Remi and Kat were in front of us. Once the plane was up in the air I looked over at my son and sighed.

"You okay, Gibbs?" Zero said cocking his head to the side.

"Yeah," I said calmly, "Just remembering the first time we, Shannon, Kelly, and I, traveled. It wasn't by plane, but train. Kelly was four at the time and we were going to see her grandparents. Kelly ran up and down the aisles singing. Almost got us kicked off too."

"That sounds fun."

Looking into Zero's eyes I saw a few tears having gathered in them. He gave me a smile before letting out a yawn. Instantly Jasper moved around so Zero could use him like a pillow.

"Sleep, my bunny," Jasper said kissing his forehead, "We'll be in New Orleans before you know it."

A soft content smile came to Zero's lips as his eyes slipped shut. Jasper smiled back before resting his head on Zero's and closing his eyes as well. Soon both of them were sleeping.

"They'll be engaged by the end of the trip," Remi said calmly, "And no, it's not Jasper that asks."

Feeling a shock run through me I looked over at my son. Zero was going to ask Jasper to marry him. They were so young though, not even in their twenties yet. Had he even thought this through?

It was true that you could see how much they were in love, but marriage? They were just too young for that. Hell, most times I thought under 30 was too young to get married.

The plane ride was quiet for the rest of flight, but my mind was running in circles. My son was going to ask his boyfriend to marry him and Zero was going to say yes. That I knew without Remi having to tell me.

By the time the plane landed my head was pounding angrily. I had to get a grip of myself though before I snapped at someone. For some reason I knew that snapping at them would not end well for anyone.

"Breathe, Gibbs," Remi said helping me get our bags while everyone else got a cab, "Them getting engaged isn't the end of the world."

"They're too young," I said through gritted teeth.

"If you and Shannon had been dating since you were thirteen would you do what Zero is doing?"

Remi walked away without me answering, probably because he knew the answer. I would have asked her without a second thought. Somehow that only made me feel a little better.

We climbed in two different cabs and drove towards the house. It didn't take all that long for us to get there, but Zero leaning out the window pointing at different things while telling us random history about New Orleans.

"I knew you've always wanted to come to New Orleans," Jasper said laughing, "But this is getting a little crazy, Sweetheart."

"Shh," Zero said rolling his eyes.

By the time we got to the house Zero was bouncing excitedly. When we got into the house Zero grabbed Jasper's hand and started running around. He really wanted to visit New Orleans.

"Nice place," I said looking around.

"Thank you," Kat said grinning, "It's mine in my family for generations. It will be good for someone to live here once more. The garden was being neglected since our move. So, you'd approve of Zero moving in here with Jasper for school?"

Sighing I looked around once more. I had barely known my son for a few months and now we were looking at places for him to live when he left. All of this was just moving too fast.

"Gibbs," Zero said running in and wrapping his arms around my waist, "Oh it's perfect. I can't wait to move in. I can move in, right?"

Looking into Zero's eyes I saw the excitement of a child, but I knew that he wasn't. He was growing up and soon he was going to be engaged. I couldn't hold onto him for much longer.

"As long as it's okay with Jasper's parents," I said softly.

"Thank you, Daddy," Zero said hugging me tighter, "Thank you so much!"

A smile came to my lips when I realized that Zero had called me 'Daddy'. That was the first time he even acknowledged that I was his father. I couldn't help but feel happy about that.

"You're welcome, son," I said kissing his forehead.

"Then I guess you guys are moving in," Remi said smiling.

Zero let out a soft scream and started jumping up and down. Soon Jasper was jumping up and down wit him until both of them fell to the floor laughing. Maybe they were young, but they were meant for each other.

"We should get married," Zero said randomly.

"Whenever you want to," Jasper said smiling.

"After graduation then. That should give us enough time to plan."

"Works for me. There's one thing I need to know though."

"What?"

"Should I call your Dad Papa Jett or Papa Jethro?"


End file.
